An inductor component related to the present disclosure is described in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-3761. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-3761 describes a winding-integrated type molded coil that has a configuration in which a winding serving as an inductor conductor is embedded in a component body that is formed by molding a magnetic material containing a metallic magnetic powder and a resin. An outer electrode that is included in this coil is electrically connected to the winding and formed on an outer surface of the component body.
Unlike a coil in which ferrite is used as a magnetic material, such a coil that is manufactured by performing resin molding will not receive a relatively large heat load through firing or the like in a process of manufacturing the coil, and thus, a problem of material deterioration will rarely occur during the process of manufacturing the coil.
However, on the other hand, when an outer electrode is formed, a baking method that has hitherto been used cannot be used because, in the baking method, a high temperature that adversely affects a resin, out of which a component body is made, needs to be applied to the component body. Therefore, when the outer electrode is formed, for example, a conductive paste containing a thermosetting resin in which a conductive metallic powder is dispersed is applied on the component body and cured at a relatively low temperature.
This may sometimes result in a problem of insufficient joint strength of the outer electrode with respect to the component body. Therefore, when the inductor component is subjected to a heat load cycle in a state of being mounted on a substrate, the degree of close contact between the outer electrode and the component body may sometimes deteriorate, and separation of the outer electrode from the component body at an interface between the outer electrode and the component body may sometimes occur.